Back in October I was looking for a felted purse pattern to make for a friend for Christmas (pictures when I finish...if ever). I came across this cute little felted pocketbook pattern that I printed. I made the first one exactly as the pattern stated. I can't tell you how I came across the pattern. I've tried to re-create my steps because I want to credit Claire Fairall whose pattern it was, but I simply don't know where I got the pattern. This is the link to the addy on the bottom of my printed page http://www.clairefairall.co.uk/. Since then, I have changed the pattern a bit just to see what happens.

It knits pretty fast.

I think you can make it as big or as little as you want.

Cast on 36 stitches on size 11 needles. I used 4 double point because 36 was to few stitches on my circular needles.

Knit in the round for at least 15 cm. The picture above I made about 7 1/2 inches. Measure from under the needles to the cast on edge. Loosely cast off 16 stitches and knit the remaining 20 on to a single needle.

Purl 1 row then knit 1 row for 7 rows.

*Knit 1, k2tog, knit 14, k2tog, K1.

Purl 1 row

repeat from * until desired flap length.

Cast off loosley.

I felted all 3 pocketbooks in the washing machine. The directions said to felt them in a bowl of hot water, but I didn't have the time or the patience for that. I put them in the wash machine on the low water setting and checked them every 5 minutes until I thought they were felted enough.

The pocketbook on the bottom of the picture is one made from the original pattern. The pocketbook on the far right is one I changed.

This is the original pattern pocketbook after it was felted. I was in such a hurry to get the other two in the mail that I forgot to take pictures of them! All in all, it was a super easy project for a first time felter and I got three great Christmas presents out of it!

I struggled with Christmas this year. Not in a bah humbug sort of way either. We decorated the house and the yard. Sometimes I think my husband wants to give the Grizwalds a run for the money in the house decorating! We put up a tree and decorated it with non breakable ornaments. It was Corrine's first Christmas. She is young enough that she doesn't understand what Christmas is. I don't want her to become so materialistic about Christmas either. I would like to teach her about the spirit of the season. We only bought her one present. We knew that the Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins would take care of her and we didn't want to over do it. Her birthday is three weeks after Christmas and she'll get more stuff.

Christmas Eve, we went to my aunts house for a buffet dinner and a gift grab. For the gift grab we draw numbers and then take a random present in that order. When it is your turn you can either take a new present or take one that has already been opened and then that person can get a new present. The first year we did the gift grab, we were very hesitant about taking presents. Fast forward three years. We are much better about taking the gift we want from someone else! Plus we get to hang with family we haven't seen since last Christmas since we are all busy and not everyone lives in Colorado!

Corrine loving on her new toys!

Christmas morning we went over to my parents for brunch and more presents. My parents gave to me a book called "Secrets From My Grandma's Garden" by Don Eversoll. I have already read it cover to cover and am now ready to dig in the dirt. Except I have to wait for months...Ugh!

Corrine reading some Christmas stories. That book she is holding, The Christmas Puppy, was Grandpa's book! From The G's house we drove up to Winter Park to Grandpa Ray and Grandma Joann's house. This is the view along the way! This is why we live in Colorado!

We ate again that afternoon. B and I said we didn't need to eat for a week! We made the rounds in Winter Park to see friends and family. We drove home that night, got the car unloaded and went to bed.

I was in kind of a withdrawal yesterday. You prepare all month long (or in my case wait until the 23rd to shop) and then BAM, it's over. And you're left with the clean up. I don't know why I had such a hard time with Christmas this year. I'll say it again this year...next year, I'll start shopping/creating much earlier!

Up in the air so blue?Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing ever a child to to.

Two weeks ago Corrine and I walked down the park to the swing. The park is a little over a mile from our house and I wanted to kill two birds with one stone, so I put her in the stroller, put the leashes on Buffett and Henley and away we went.

Two weeks ago, it was unseasonably warm. It was a sunny, clear blue day with temps in the mid 60's. Since then it has been unseasonably cold! Today when we walked to the park it was 35 degrees. The sun was out, but it was a hazy sky. So no real warmth from the sun.

The boys don't care what the temperature is. They are just happy to get a walk in. And a long walk it was! Corrine LOVES the swing. She's not happy with a gentle push. She likes to really swing. And her laugh is contagious. She laughs, I laugh, we all laugh!

Saturday night I went to the December food swap of the Mile High Swappers at the Savory Spice Shop in Boulder. The theme for this swap was soup. And what a perfect night for soup. It was about 20 degrees out and it had snowed earlier in the day. Of course you could bring anything homemade or homegrown to swap.

I took Broccoli Cheese Soup to trade and brought home a jar of Delicata Squash Soup, a jar of Butternut Squash soup, a container of Mulligatawny Stew, a container of homemade chicken stock, and a bag of dee-lish cheese crackers. Corrine had the Delicata Squash soup for dinner the other night and loved it.

The idea of the swap is to bring homemade items (tasters are good), mingle and check out what others have brought. Then "bid" on what you want to trade...my soup for your soup. At the swap moment you can begin trading to get your hearts desire. Cash is not allowed...all items must be traded.

The first swap I attended was in October. I took my homemade tomato sauce, tomatilla salsa and some jams. I came home with a plethora of goodies...jams, pickles, and salsa. Oh and some Bourbon Salted Caramel Sauce! Dee-lish!

Here's a picture of the Redhead's jams!

On another random note...I haven't been running in about a week. I got sick again. I'm not sure, but it might have something to do with standing outside for three hours in 20 degree weather.

Or at least it was this morning at 5AM! My husband, Bryan, and I were standing in line outside at 5AM for a limited edition CD that goes on sale at 8AM. KBCO radio puts out a CD every year at this time that is benefits the Boulder County Aids Project and The Food Bank of the Rockies. The artists that make up the CD have performed live on the radio throughout the year when they come through the Denver area. This is the 23rd year that KBCO has put out this CD and it is a collectors item. The idea is to get there early and wait in line (some people even camp in tents to be the first in line!) and get the CD. If you go later in the morning you still have to wait in line and there is no guarantee that CDs are still available. It is a tradition that we have every year. This year, however, was 20 degree, a tad on the breezy side and snowing. Yuck. But, we got our CD!

Earlier this week is was in the upper 50's. We were able to hang our Christmas lights and decorations outside wearing t-shirts. It was a clear, blue sky day! Gotta love living in Colorado.